What a great discussion. Thank you @dcasarett
Agree with @Kaveh: The Pioneer decides.
Long left out of the efficacy question in medicine is “patient preference”. Even as a physician - once a patient walks out the door - only they will decide whether or not to continue with a therapy as suggested/prescribed. No matter how much I believe in the the therapy - or how definitive the research to support it - or even how much I “convince” them - the decision on efficacy (which runs parallel in my head to the decision to continue with a therapy) is decided upon by the individual - and often on a “gut” level.
Also, in an age of polypharmacy and rampant adverse events, it is incredibly important to empower individuals to use safer interventions earlier in the course of chronic disease that have an impact not only on specific symptoms, but on their overall resiliency and response to stress (like Valerian).
Further supporting individuals with a supportive community, a trusted product, and then with data to make informed decisions not only if a therapy works, but when it does NOT not seem to be working will be the key to success (so we can avoid potential side effects, try a different therapy, or even another dose) . The potential harm of any given intervention also makes this decision even more imperative (ambien/benzos vs. valerian).
Even in the current reality, where many of us lack access to the important feedback Sofi affords - I find most people are good at deciding for themselves if a therapy is working. When in doubt, in my clinical practice, I may have a patient stop a therapy to truly know. Removing a therapy that is working can be VERY revealing (both subjectively, and as we have seen on an individual’s data).
I think that is why I get so excited about Sofi. I’m very excited to be on this incredible journey with everyone - finding new approaches to age-old questions. Clinical trials serve us well - but its high time we move beyond the extrapolation of others data to a personalized, precise, and data-driven individual approach to health (starting with those therapies that have least chance for harm)!
I truly wish that for every ambien and/or benzodiazapine I consider prescribing in the future, I can offer Sofi first to those patients interested/willing/ideally-suited. Personal preference based on data reflecting the total overall effect of the entire Sofi experience will help guide each one of us to make our own decisions on efficacy.
Dream Big!